The Dawn of the New World

He was still alive...if that could even be called living.

It looked like his entire skeletal system had been evaporated. It was just a mass of human-shaped flesh and muscles being held together by a ruptured sack of skin that was leaking more and more. His eyes were gone, probably popped from the sudden change in pressure. (Reference image in authors notes)

He was reaching out with what was left of his hands, slowly collapsing in on himself.

*Uuurk*

Hao Xuan almost threw up looking at him. That was a horrible way to die and one that Hao Xuan wasn't too keen on trying for himself.

He tugged on Burak's clothes, "WE HAVE...TO GO...BACK!" Hao Xuan shouted as loudly as the situation would possibly allow but maybe it was the ear-splittingly loud explosions or something else, but Burak could not hear anything he said.

'God damnit, damnit! What the fuck should I do?'

Half of the ground around him had already turned into smoking pits from where the lightning bolts fell and it was only a matter of time before he would get caught up in it as well.

Hao Xuan looked behind him and saw where they had come in from. The exit was less than 60 meters away but covering even that much distance seemed nothing short of a miracle right now.

Since Hao Xuan had lagged behind the others upon entering this space, he was closest to the exit followed by Burak. If Burak came with him with his shield, it would be possible to make it there in one piece.

'Fuck it all,' Hao Xuan cursed and used spiritual sense to reach out instead, even though he didn't want to use something that would make him seem anything other than an ordinary human.

'Hey, we have to go! Just move back slowly and we can get to safety!' he sent the words directly to Burak's mind but the giant Barbarian outright rejected the idea without even giving it some thought or even considering how Hao Xuan's was in his head.

"No! Won't leave others behind!" he said with a firm shake.

*BOOOOM*

Another bolt landed nearby, this time to the right, less than 15 meters away. Burak rotated his hand and the shield moved with the movements of his fist, protecting Hao Xuan and himself from the shockwaves in the nick of time.

Hao Xuan bit his lip in anger and agitation, drawing blood.

'Then what?! we will both die along with them!' he retorted feeling wronged. He felt guilty for even suggesting it but it wasn't his decision to come here.

Burak didn't reply immediately this time. A couple of seconds later he turned his head halfway looking in Hao Xuan's direction even though he couldn't see anything.

"Do you still have your vision, human?" he asked slowly.

Hao Xuan hesitated at first but still ended up telling the truth, 'Yes.'

Burak suddenly broke out laughing, "How amusing! The one who was forced into coming here is the only one still able to find the way back!"

Hao Xuan took a step back cautiously. Burak wouldn't attack him, right? But his fears were unfounded as Burak proved him wrong a moment later. He smashed his fists together a couple of times as the words of power rotated.

The crystal shield in front of him started cracking from the side and broke into two. The larger one still floated in front of him while he grabbed the smaller one and passed it over to Hao Xuan.

"Go. It should protect you until you leave this cursed place!" he said with a grin, leaving Hao Xuan stumped.

Hao Xuan looked at the shield that was the size of his arm and more than big enough to keep him safe. He looked towards Burak's shield which was not only smaller than before but much thinner as well. Small hairline fractures were spreading out from the middle.

At this pace, it won't even last for more than a handful of minutes and when it finally breaks, Burak would probably go with it.

'Why? Why won't you come? I can guide you!' Hao Xuan asked one last time in response to which Burak simply shook his head with a proud smile.

"Because I am a warrior! How will I face my ancestors if I turn my back on those that I promised to protect? What kind of meaning will a life like that have? I would rather die today than live a long life full of regrets!"

"Go, human! It is not your time to die. Leave quickly while I still have the strength to stand. And when you see my sister, tell her she was right about this place."

***

Authors Notes:

All images are posted in the Official Discord.

Link: https://discord.gg/AHdSBFQ

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Reference Image Link: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f0/33/a0/f033a068208f2fcfb66fa26b953096de.jpg

Shortened Image Link (case sensitive): https://urlzs.com/bYGW4